The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1887-12-17
SUPERSTITION.
The Belief in Signs Common to
Many People.
Some Old-Time OmenS and
What They Indicate.

anu III may DE SalclN Hiit tIE't thclc -
not one il a hundred vino has the force
Of character and strength Of mind to
unburdcn himself of all such foolish no
toaS. Among gamblers superstition
forms as much part of Il professionals
education as learning to deal cards. and
until he has MI the iunumcrablc super
stitions which prey upon the minds of
his class at his fingers tips he cannot
expect 10 rank rs u real gam"
Actors, too, are the most superstitiOus
people on the face of the globe. In no
con. pany will the manager permit the
''tag' or end Of the play to he spoken
during the preliminary rehearsal. and if,
o. the night of the first appearance an
ctDrot the company or an .attache OF
the theatre happens to look out front to
",izc up the house before the curtain
is rung up, he or she is in for long
squabble with the manager or his assis-
tant Ia less intelligent companies this
breach of etiquette" would cost the
offender good part of the salary that
might be due him.
Housewives have rs many supersti-
tions as gamblers, even more. and some
of them are really laughable. In the
country, if the back door happens to be
ar1 thn in
dustrious housewife who may be in the
kitchen securing her knives, will drop
them in a hurry and run and get on her
clean ''duds." She considers it q sure
sign that u stranger is coming. But
should that rooster turn his back on the
open doorway and so OF growing his
action will send cold chill meandering
up and down the spinal column Of the
housewife, for then she knows ''for Ger
tain" there'll be death in the family.
Bad luck. too, will come if she
sweeps dirt into her yarl. 1t must be
taken up in the house and burned in the
stove This superstition should be eul-
tivated.
Other superstitions of the same char
acter-such as sweeping with broom at
night time or dumping crumbs ia the
yard deserve universal commentator.
But lust let hen crow in the yard of
some old, back farmer 1t will
cause considerable commotioa in the
family. From the infrcquency of this
occurrence the Eclicf in the min DIS of
many people that it foretclls death is
incra'licablc. There are many ether SUI
perstl,ions that are not common to any
particular class, bu. find believers in all
ranks and every condition of lie.
Thus, the familiar verses
II you love M ~ love YOU,
No knife can cut oar love in two
must have been iouadcd on the old time
belief that to present knife % any per-
son, and especially if he or she was
loved By the donor, would bring bad
luck, and IN the case Of lovers scpara-
ton.
Death tick" and the sound as o.
bells ringing in house are cousins ger
man Of the Iri,h "banShcc." and the
sam" direfal consequences that are sup
posed to attend ihr appearance of til,
latter vii r,-l't il. th" .ora"r instance.
, y SUPERSTITION whica finds believer,
ainong really intelligent people IS thai
of the 'howling dog" If a dog howl.
or means iii front OF your house al
night. to many people it is sure fore
, runner OF sickness or death in the
family The writer knows of two in
stances where the moaning of dog al
night in front of house was followed
/ ny dcath--that OF the dog.
When the time approaches ior tn,
new moon to appear above the horizon
yonng men and girls who are love
stricken will hail it with feelings o
mingled hope AMI fear. II 10y any mis-
/ chance they should first see the new
moon toy lonkIug over thcir !clt shoulder
then good-hy to AL hope Of a successful
issue cr Their affair, durint the life o
tllt moon.
All are familiar with the lines: "Se
the new moon through the glass, tn
SIGN of trouble while it lasts" Should
the reader ever happen to leave hom